Flushing valve



Nov. 16 1926.

W. M. EARLY FLUSHING VALVE Filed April 2. 1923 Patented Nov. 16, 1926.

WILLIAM MAYNARD EARLY, SYDNEY, NEW SOUTH W'ALES, AUSTBALTA rLusi-rrneVALVE.

Application filed April 2,

This invention relates to water closet and the like flushing valves ofthe kind in which a valve normally closes the opening between the supplyand the outlet chambers and in which such valve is opened by means uponthe exterior of the casing.

The object of the present invention is to improve and simplify theconstruction of such devices. I

According hereto a plunger is connected to the valve and fits looselywithin the chamber above the valve and is so arranged that as the valveis raised from its seat and the plunger moved upwardly, the water in thespace above the plunger will freely pass such plunger in order to enableit to be raised within the chamber. \Vhen the upward movement of theplunger ceases water will pass from the space below the plunger to thespace above it through a by-pass preferably arranged in the plungeritself in order to permit the plunger and valve to move downwardly andthe valve to close upon its seat after the required volume of water hasflooded through the valve opening.

Means are provided whereby when the valve has been raised to therequired height such means will become disengaged from the valve andpermit the valve to close upon its seat independently of such valveraising means.

A preferred form of the invention will now be described with the aid ofthe accompanying drawings wherein Figure 1 is a cross sectionalelevation showing the valve closed upon its seat and the means forraising it,

Figure 2 is a side elevation of the closing device on a smaller scalethan Figure 1 showing an alternative method of operating the valve,

Figure 3 is aseetional elevation of a further alternative method ofoperating the valve,

Figure 4 is a sectional plan on line AA Figure 1 showing the valveplunger and the megns for varying the speed of the valve, an

Figure 5 is a perspective detail view of the lever 25 of Figure 1.

Referring to the drawings the device consists of a casing 1 having aninlet chamber 2 which is attached to-the source of supply,

usually to a pipe leading to a reservoir.

The upper part of the casing forms a cylindrical chamber 3 while a valveseating 4.-is

dle 23 journalled in the casing.

1923. Serial No. 629,286.

situated between the chamber 3 and the'outlet chamber 5.

A valve 6 having a washer 7 of leather or other suitable. material isnormally seated upon thev valve seating 45. The stem of the valve ispreferably formed as illustrated, the tail portion sliding in a guide 10cast integrally with the casing while the upper portion 11 of the stemreceives a distance piece 12, the lower flange 13 of which forms apocket for the washer 7. Upon the upper flange 14 of the distance piece12 a circular plate 15 rests. A bucket leather 16 is se-- curely heldbetweenthe plate 15 and a plunger 17. The edge of the bucket leather 16is flanged downwardly as shown, while the plate 17 fits loosely in thecylindrical chamber 3. The plate 17 and the leather 16 form a plungerwhich will permit water to pass between-the periphery of the plunger andthe walls of the cylindrical chamber 3 when the plunger is movedupwards, but the water below the plunger is prevented'from passing tothe space above the plunger by means of the bucket leather. If desiredthe plate 17 may be provided with notches 18 at '15 which has a numberof holes of different diameters (see Figure 4) adapted to register withthe by-pass 19 and thus its area may be varied by simply rotating theplate 15 so that an opening in the plate of the desired diameter will beopposite the bypass 19. Each hole may have stamped or marked opposite toit a number designating the head in feet which will give a constantvolume of flushing. Preferably the holes in the plates 15 arecountersunk from both sides in order to produce a sharp edge and therebyto prevent deposits from blocking up the holes, or the thickness of theplate may be considerably less than the diameter of'the smallest hole inorder that the possibility of deposits forming thereon may be reduced toa minimum. The by-pass may also be protected'from choking by a wiregauze strainer 20.

The valve is operated by means of a spin- This spindle is provided witha crank 24, and to the crank is pivoted a lever which .engages beneaththe tail portion 9 of the valve stem, while a tall 26 on the leverengages "against the shoulder 65 in order to bring the lever to therequired position beneath the tail piece 9. The crank 2a to which thelever 25 is pivoted has a portion thereof formed into a quadrant 5elcontaining teeth 55. A red 56 having teeth 57 gearing with the teeth isguided in the casing. The lever 25 is formed with an opening. 49, (asshown in Figure 5) in order that the rod 56 may pass through the lever.A coil spring 58in compression.between a shoulder 59 of the rod and ametal washer 60 retains the rod normally outwards. The shoulder 59 formspart of the recessed cap 61 telescoping within a socket 62 projectingfrom the casing. A leather washer 63 between the wall of the casing andthe washer 6O prevents water passing into the chamber formed by therecess in the socket and in the cap. v

The lever 25 is normally held in its raised position clear of the tailportion 9 and the inward movement of the rod rotates the quadrant 54 andlowers the lever. to the position shown in dotted lines. As the levermoves downwards the tail 26 will strike the shoulder 65 and cause theupper end of the lever to fall into position beneath the tail portion 9.lVhen thepressure upon the cap 61 .is released the rod 56 will returnunder pressure of the spring 58 and rotate. the quadrant 54, raise thelever 25, thereby opening the valve, the lever 25 sliding clear of thetail portion 9 by means of thecurved face of theguide 10. A tail 67 uponthe quadrant limits the outward movement of the rod.

In Figure 2 the lever 25 is retained in its raised position by means ofa. weight .28 upon the handle 21 which is attached to the spindle 23 andthe handle is merely raised by the operator in order topermit the lever25 to engage beneath the tail piece 9 and immediately the handle isreleased the weight 28 will fall and raise the lever 25 to open thevalve. vThe weight may however, if desired, be arranged to simplyreturnthe lever 25 into its p'ositionbeneath the tail piece, the valve beingraised by the handle direct. The weight in Figure 2 has a lateral handle48, v

In Figure 3 another method of raising the valve is shown andconsists ofthelever 25 and alin k 50 forming. a toggle operated by a push rod 51guided in the casing, such push button being under the tensionaofaspring 52 in a similar manner to that shown in Figure 1. p l I Theplunger is permittedto move upwardly by reason of the fact that" thewater above the plunger can pass" downwardly around the peripheryof'such plunger above described and the valve being thereby raised therequired flush is obtained. Immediately the lever 25 is tripped, waterwill. pass through the by-pass 19, thus permittingtl'ie valve to close,and when the valve again approaches its seat the pressure fromthe watersupply will firmly scat it in position and shut off the flush.

I claim:

1. In a sel'liclosing flushing device, valve operating means comprisinga guide having a curved face, a valve stem moving in said guide and alever engaging beneath the valve stein and riding against the curvedface of the guide, said lever being disengaged from the valve stem as itrides past a given point of the curved face. 7

2. A flushing valve claimed in claim 1 characterized by a crank upon aspindle (.iperable by means exterior of the device, to which crank ispivoted the lever whose upper end is adapted to engage beneath the stemof the valve and having a tail piece which upon striking a stop withinthe valve casing will restore such lever again to a position beneath thevalve stem. 4

A flushing valve device as claimed in claim 1' in which the lever isadapted to on gage a stop as the lever moves downwardly whereby suchlever is brought into position beneath the valve stem.

4. A valve device as claimed in claim 1 characterized by means forplacing the lever intoposition for raising the valve and means forreturning the operating means when releasedso as to raise the valve.

5. A valve device as claimed in claim 1 characterized by a crank towhich the lever is pivoted, a toothed quadrant upon the crank, anactuating rod having teeth meshing with the teeth of the quadrant andaspring to return the rod to its normal position.

6. A valve device as claimed in claim 1 characterized by an actuatingrod with teeth thereon and guided through the valve casing that engagesa quadrant pivoted to the cas ing, which quadrant has pivoted thereonthe valve raising lever, a spring normally retaining the lever in itsraised position clear of the valve rod, all arranged whereby when therod is operated the quadrant will rotate and lower the lever intoengagement with the stem and when the rod is released the spring willreturn the rod and raisethe lever in order to open the valve.

-7. A flushing valve as claimed in claim 1 characterized by the valvebeing provided with a piston having a bypass and'a plate of which thethickness at the port where the opening is formed is less than thediameter of the opening, whereby the possibility of deposits formingthereon may be reduced to a minimum.

characterized by the valve being provided with a piston having a by-passand a plate of which the thickness at the port where the opening isformed is less than the diameter of the opening, whereby the possibilityof deposits forming thereon may be reduced to a minimum and in which theplate contains a number of holes of different diameters that are adaptedto register with the bypass and piston.

9. A flushing valve as claimed in claim 1 characterized by the valvebeing provided with a piston having a lay-pass and a plate of which thethickness at the port Where the opening is formed is less than thediameter ofthe opening, whereby the possibility of deposits formingthereon may be reduced to a minimum, and a strainer around the by-pass.

In testimony whereof he has aflixed his signature.

WILLIAM MAYNARD EARLY.

